Top 50 Video Games of All-Time...
This list was made in early December 2009. Because of this, some games released in Nov/Dec '09 and in 2010 may eventually make the list, but because they were so fresh and new, I didn't want to put them on the list yet. I will revisit this list and make necessary updates in April/June of 2010 after the slew of highly anticipated games have come out.
Here is a brief list of "Honorable Mentions" that I am waiting to see how they hold over time:
-Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3)
-Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition (PS3)
-Heavy Rain (PS3)
-Peggle (PSN)
Here is a brief list of "Honorable Mentions" that I am waiting to see how they hold over time:
-Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3)
-Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition (PS3)
-Heavy Rain (PS3)
-Peggle (PSN)
50. X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse
Platform: SNES
Year Released: 1994
Publisher: Capcom
Est. Hours Played: 20-30
Why It Made The List: When it came out, the X-Men were in their resurgent state, selling assloads of comics, and having a kick-ass tv show. With that, Mutant Apocalypse allowed you to play through 5 individual-character levels based on the cartoon universe, on your way to try to take on Sentinels, then later Apocalypse himself, and Magneto.
Year Released: 1994
Publisher: Capcom
Est. Hours Played: 20-30
Why It Made The List: When it came out, the X-Men were in their resurgent state, selling assloads of comics, and having a kick-ass tv show. With that, Mutant Apocalypse allowed you to play through 5 individual-character levels based on the cartoon universe, on your way to try to take on Sentinels, then later Apocalypse himself, and Magneto.
49. Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball
Platform: SNES
Year Released: 1994
Publisher: Nintendo
Est. Hours Played: 60-75
Why It Made The List: While it didn't have officially licensed MLB players (except for Junior), the likenesses were close enough, and you could edit rosters. So #31 Barker for the Braves quickly became "Greg Maddux" and SS McBain for the Cubs became "Shawon Dunston". After a few hours editing all the rosters, my friend and I would play an entire season, logging the stats, and repeating the process to see how we would fair the next season. The Home Run Derby mode was fun, but anyone trying to go up against Griffey would soon be demolished.
Year Released: 1994
Publisher: Nintendo
Est. Hours Played: 60-75
Why It Made The List: While it didn't have officially licensed MLB players (except for Junior), the likenesses were close enough, and you could edit rosters. So #31 Barker for the Braves quickly became "Greg Maddux" and SS McBain for the Cubs became "Shawon Dunston". After a few hours editing all the rosters, my friend and I would play an entire season, logging the stats, and repeating the process to see how we would fair the next season. The Home Run Derby mode was fun, but anyone trying to go up against Griffey would soon be demolished.
48. PixelJunk Monsters
Platform: PS3 (Via Playstation Network)
Year Released: 2008
Publisher: SCEA
Est. Hours Played: 40-50
Why It Made The List: Easily my favorite game via the Playstation Network. This adorable tower defense game is highly addictive, and also quite challenging. The music and sound effects just help to put a smile on your face.
Year Released: 2008
Publisher: SCEA
Est. Hours Played: 40-50
Why It Made The List: Easily my favorite game via the Playstation Network. This adorable tower defense game is highly addictive, and also quite challenging. The music and sound effects just help to put a smile on your face.
47. Resident Evil 5
Platform: PS3
Year Released: 2009
Publisher: Capcom
Est. Hours Played: 50-75
Why It Made The List: There was a LOT of backlash on this game by FPS fans when it was first released. "I can't run while shooting!!" they all said. No shit, Sherlock, you're playing a Resident Evil game, not Call of Duty. What made the first games in the franchise great was carried over perfectly to the PS3 port. With a new buffed out Chris Redfield able to melee enemies now, and adding in the amazingly fun Co-op play, I ended up playing through the story mode 4 different times on my way to Platinum.
Year Released: 2009
Publisher: Capcom
Est. Hours Played: 50-75
Why It Made The List: There was a LOT of backlash on this game by FPS fans when it was first released. "I can't run while shooting!!" they all said. No shit, Sherlock, you're playing a Resident Evil game, not Call of Duty. What made the first games in the franchise great was carried over perfectly to the PS3 port. With a new buffed out Chris Redfield able to melee enemies now, and adding in the amazingly fun Co-op play, I ended up playing through the story mode 4 different times on my way to Platinum.
46. FIFA 98: Road to World Cup
Platform: PC
Year Released: 1997
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Est. Hours Played: 70-80
Why It Made The List: I probably heard Blur's "Song 2" upwards to 500 times while playing this during '97-'98. One of the most comprehensive soccer games of the time, featuring all registered FIFA teams and the new "World Cup Mode", FIFA 98 was an amazingly simple, yet addictive soccer game. While my team of choice was the Netherlands (Dennis Bergkamp was unstoppable!), it was also crazy fun to play as Venezuela and see Carlos Valderamma's gorgeous 'fro bouncing on the pitch.
Year Released: 1997
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Est. Hours Played: 70-80
Why It Made The List: I probably heard Blur's "Song 2" upwards to 500 times while playing this during '97-'98. One of the most comprehensive soccer games of the time, featuring all registered FIFA teams and the new "World Cup Mode", FIFA 98 was an amazingly simple, yet addictive soccer game. While my team of choice was the Netherlands (Dennis Bergkamp was unstoppable!), it was also crazy fun to play as Venezuela and see Carlos Valderamma's gorgeous 'fro bouncing on the pitch.
45. Tomb Raider
Platform: PS1
Year Released: 1996
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Est. Hours Played: 25-40
Why It Made The List: One of the first "modern" action/adventure games, Tomb Raider brought a new level of adventure to console gaming. One minute you were getting chased by tigers, the next solving an insane puzzle, the next fighting a freaking t-rex (seriously?!).
Year Released: 1996
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Est. Hours Played: 25-40
Why It Made The List: One of the first "modern" action/adventure games, Tomb Raider brought a new level of adventure to console gaming. One minute you were getting chased by tigers, the next solving an insane puzzle, the next fighting a freaking t-rex (seriously?!).
44. Hitman: Codename 47
Platform: PC
Year Released: 2000
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Est. Hours Played: 40-50
Why It Made The List: There have been a lot of attempts to re-create hitmen or assassin games, but none ever felt true to life, until Hitman. This beautiful bald bastard showed a ruthless, yet calculated methodology to going about taking out a target. For the most part, you needed to be completely secretive, changing costumes, blending in to your environment, going about your business as if you weren't actually breaking into a mansion to pop a millionaire. Other times though, you needed to create a scene to clear a room, allowing you access to your target. A great game for the PC that, for me, just didn't carry over to the console very well.
Year Released: 2000
Publisher: Eidos Interactive
Est. Hours Played: 40-50
Why It Made The List: There have been a lot of attempts to re-create hitmen or assassin games, but none ever felt true to life, until Hitman. This beautiful bald bastard showed a ruthless, yet calculated methodology to going about taking out a target. For the most part, you needed to be completely secretive, changing costumes, blending in to your environment, going about your business as if you weren't actually breaking into a mansion to pop a millionaire. Other times though, you needed to create a scene to clear a room, allowing you access to your target. A great game for the PC that, for me, just didn't carry over to the console very well.
43. Metal Gear Solid
Platform: PS1
Year Released: 1998
Publisher: Konami
Est. Hours Played: 40-50
Why It Made The List: Hey, speaking of stealth games! It was, and still is, hard for me to imagine how much work was put in to making this game by Kojima and crew. The complex story, amazing voice work, and revolutionary gameplay makes it easy for this PS1 classic to make the list. Being able to throw misdirection at an enemy, either by knocking or creating snow-footprint paths, only to then sneak up behind him and snap his neck just never got old. And everyone remembers their first Rex battle.
Year Released: 1998
Publisher: Konami
Est. Hours Played: 40-50
Why It Made The List: Hey, speaking of stealth games! It was, and still is, hard for me to imagine how much work was put in to making this game by Kojima and crew. The complex story, amazing voice work, and revolutionary gameplay makes it easy for this PS1 classic to make the list. Being able to throw misdirection at an enemy, either by knocking or creating snow-footprint paths, only to then sneak up behind him and snap his neck just never got old. And everyone remembers their first Rex battle.
42. Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Platform: NES
Year Released: 1988
Publisher: Technos Japan Corp.
Est. Hours Played: 30-40
Why It Made The List: One of the best side-scrolling fighting games for the NES. This game was so addictive and easy to play that I would even catch my mom playing this on occasion (who does NOT play games). That was the beauty of NES games, you could play the same level 50 times and never grow tired of it. The combat system was near perfect, allowing you tu use the "A" and "B" buttons not to do one move, but to determine whether you want to attack in front of you or behind you. Add in some special combat moves, and you could easily master the game in under an hour. The conveyor-belts and disappearing ledges took many hours to get though...
Year Released: 1988
Publisher: Technos Japan Corp.
Est. Hours Played: 30-40
Why It Made The List: One of the best side-scrolling fighting games for the NES. This game was so addictive and easy to play that I would even catch my mom playing this on occasion (who does NOT play games). That was the beauty of NES games, you could play the same level 50 times and never grow tired of it. The combat system was near perfect, allowing you tu use the "A" and "B" buttons not to do one move, but to determine whether you want to attack in front of you or behind you. Add in some special combat moves, and you could easily master the game in under an hour. The conveyor-belts and disappearing ledges took many hours to get though...
41. Battlefield: Bad Company
Platform: PS3
Year Released: 2008
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Est. Hours Played: 100-125
Why It Made The List: A unique feeling shooter unlike anything on the market. I played completely through and put in about 30 hours of multi-player before trophies came out, at which point I then played through the single player twice more and logged another 50 hours or so in MP. Destructive environments make the gameplay feel as real as any game out there. Very, very high hopes for Bad Company 2. (Ed. Note: Hopes lived up to. Expect to see BFBC2 in the list in the near future.)
Year Released: 2008
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Est. Hours Played: 100-125
Why It Made The List: A unique feeling shooter unlike anything on the market. I played completely through and put in about 30 hours of multi-player before trophies came out, at which point I then played through the single player twice more and logged another 50 hours or so in MP. Destructive environments make the gameplay feel as real as any game out there. Very, very high hopes for Bad Company 2. (Ed. Note: Hopes lived up to. Expect to see BFBC2 in the list in the near future.)